I trust Daniel Molloy (as an interviewer)! If he's repeatedly asking Lestat if he was a stutterer as a child, Daniel is onto something.
And everything else is a type of distraction that Lestat WANTS us to be distracted by.
In previous seasons, Danny Molloy talks about how Louis uses third person "him" or "one" when he's trying to distance himself from his actions. Danny is good at catching this stuff!
Lestat is a master of DISTRACTION. Look at the visual difference in the third season (a naked woman showering in the background of a shot, switching from documentary style to colour, time skips, so much modern slang it's almost hard to understand).
Danny repeatedly throughout the episode asks Lestat if he was a stutterer as a kid. (the repetition also kind of mimicking the act of stuttering). He's hammering him. Don't get distracted! Stay on point (both Danny and us, the viewer)!
And what happens at the end of the episode? Lestat stutters as he sees his mother; and it looks like we're going to start delving into his childhood. That's where the pain is. That's where the story is.
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Obfuscation of the truth; Lawyer Litigation scene TVL episode 2 Toledo
When episode 2 delivered the highly recognisable lawyer scene, I waited with baited breath for a particular part that the extended trailer had shown us and which I really wanted to see given context. But by the end I thought I had just completely missed it taking place, it wasn't until I rewatched the episode that realisation struck; memory is a monster.
I hadn't missed the moment, it just never took place in the episode.
Wondering what else had been purposefully left out, I went over both the trailer and episode, trying to see if there was anything I could understand from the differences.
Lets start chronologically:
The episode starts the scene with an establishing shot of a coffee machine, pastries and associated utensils. Which perfectly stages the entire tone of the scene; for a meeting with 3 vampires and 1 mortal, this setup is excessive since only Christine would be able to consume any of it. It's effectively a decoration with no real purpose, a performance if you will.
Adding to that the shot is upside down, which is a visual confirmation that the scene has been altered in some way. To turn something upside down is to change or distort it.
In the episode, the next time the coffee machine is fully framed in shot again (this time upright), there's also a photograph directly above it of a cityscape seemingly upside down at first glance. The camera doesn't pause here but continues to keep the photograph in view, panning until it stops at where Louis makes his first appearance.
The photograph being shown as upside down for it's first appearance, happens at the same time when Louis is referred to as Mr Pitt, an alias used to bring Lestat to the meeting under false pretenses.
The upside down city is kept in view when Louis relays (through Lemuel) that it was actually Lestat that had called the meeting, and (interestingly enough) still in shot when Christine denies that "[Lestat] did no such thing" but with the camera stopping at and centering Louis for the entire duration of her saying it.
The coffee machine staying upright throughout the sequence, affirms that the truth is present in this moment, even if (what looks like) the upside down photograph shows that a distorted view of these events is being presented to us.
While the trailer gives a decent length of time for this scene, the establishing shot is a very quick split second, and has Lestat as the first character presented. Keep in mind that he's shown wearing his sunglasses for only this shot in the trailer, for the rest of the scene he isn't wearing them or otherwise touching them even if they're present on the table (more on this later).
The next part seems like a bit of a reach, but honestly the show runners are very intentional with how a scene is staged so bear with me here; His right hand is curled in a way that somewhat resembles the motion made when pressing down on a gun's trigger, and it's not facing the camera head on or completely to the right, but aiming diagonally right. Combined with the lyrics from 'All Fall Down' (from the previous part of the trailer) of "Bang bang bang" (the literal sound a gun makes!), and the pattern of his shirt which almost look like splatters or cracks from a bullet's impact, all bring attention to how the scene is a fight that he's unwilling to lose to his opponent.
While Lestat is not the first character appearing in the scene for the episode, his first appearance is similar enough to the trailer but with a few key differences. He still has his sunglasses on but his shirt is noticeably more buttoned up and his hands are under the table. This version is visibly and quite literally not showing us his hand, he's playing it cool so that even his expression is more stoic, he's all business.
When the camera centres him, Christine (talking to Lemuel) mentions the act of being dishonest quite neutrally, instead of explicitly addressing either Louis or Lemuel, or both together, she uses "these" not "you or your", suggesting that the thing being "made up" in this shot relates to Lestat.
For the episode, in the last shot with Lestat in frame before he takes off his (unnecessary) sunglasses, he states that his songs are not about Louis, with the visual of his right hand raised in a loose fist = a verbal punch, and his obstructed eyes inform us that he doesn't want anyone to scrutinise the truthfulness (or lack thereof) of that statement.
Lestat is out of view when he takes off the glasses, which occurs during a back and forth with Louis about the iwtv book. Note how the photograph which had been shown only halfway is revealed more for the first time, informing us that it was never upside down, but carefully positioned to look like it was, as the mirrored reflection of the city was what we saw rather than the actual city, similarly our perception of the truth was distorted by an external force.
In the next shot of Lestat in frame without the sunglasses, he's continuing the conversation by verbally challenging Louis (and looking at him), but both his body and head are tilted towards Lemuel in a hunched but alert position, with the camera framing Lestat between Louis' shoulder and Lemuel's hand.
Now lets get into what caused this spiral, after comparing them, I found that there were 2 key moments that were present in the trailer but absent in the episode.
Trailer 1st Moment:
When Armand is brought up for the first time in the trailer, Louis questions Lestat if "[He] wants to get into Armand?" whilst Lestat continues to laugh. Also note that the camera uses a close up shot of just Louis when this interaction takes place for the first time, intentionally leaving Lemuel out of frame. But Lemuel's introduction as a character wasn't kept a secret in the trailer, so there's no other reason to not include him in frame unless it was narratively important to show how focused Lestat was on Louis' response to Lestat bringing up Armand.
Episode 1st Absence:
The episode leaves out Louis' question, and includes Lemuel in frame when Armand is brought up. Remember that this interaction has been edited by Lestat to feel less emotional, the distance of the camera relates to the distance Lestat is placing between him goading Louis about Armand, and his interest in Louis' response.
The omission of Louis' question was strange, since the proceeding argument about Armand stays the same in both trailer and episode. It's possible Lestat doesn't actually want to discuss Armand (in greater depth), and by erasing Louis' question, he can pretend that it's Louis who's reluctant to tell him about his relationship, rather than it being Lestat who is fearful of what he might find out about Louis' relationship with Armand (which lasted longer than Lestat's own relationship with Louis). This also indicates that for the most part, Lestat is in the dark in regards to Louis and Armand's relationship.
Trailer 2nd Moment:
I believe this moment was the catalyst for Lestat's rewrite of the scene; when Louis reaches out to Lemuel to touch his hand, with Louis being the initiator of this touch. This is what causes Lestat's affronted and distressed expression, and it's this moment that he refuses to admit happened since it's absence in the episode is quite telling.
Episode 2nd Absence:
Lestat's distressed expression is unchanged in the retelling, but the shot before, that replaces the one in the trailer, has Lemuel mentioning ending the meeting "dispassionately", the implication that Lestat's time with Louis is coming to a lacklustre end, and with the "we" used by Lemuel to signify his unity with Louis.
By replacing the moment that Louis reaches for Lemuel, the moment which Lestat views as most distressing in the entire interaction (based on his reaction), with an event that Lestat feels more comfortable admitting happened instead, with his fears of Louis' possible affections for another man hidden behind a more neutral (on the surface) moment.
Christine's dialogue right after, the inclusion of the "yes" at the start of her sentence, and that isn't in the trailer, suggests that Lemuel's sentence wasn't at all what he said, but something Lestat made up or changed to be more palatable for himself.
Another key part of the replacement shot is that Lemuel goes to put on his sunglasses, but only puts them on when out of view of the camera (more on this later).
Next I wanted to discuss the use of the sunglasses by both Lestat and Lemuel. As a metaphor they act as a shield or partial mask, as they literally cover a character's eyes and make them harder to read/ less emotional when that character wants to downplay their reaction. It's also very much a pointed metaphor since they serve no actual purpose for either vampire who are meeting in a somewhat dimly lit room.
The first time we see Lemuel with the sunglasses properly on, is when Lestat questions the nature of the relationship between him and Louis, and Louis agrees with his assumption. Lemuel himself doesn't contribute to the answer (either verbally or non verbally), even though Lestat addressed both of them together when asking about their relationship. Note how the photograph is once again cut off so the illusion of an upside down city is visible again.
Lemuel's sunglasses are also similar in proportion and colour to Lestat's, his eyes obstructed from the audience's view with a stoic expression, he's all business.
The next shot after the reveal of Louis' involvement with Lemuel, Lestat taunts Louis with his own words, to find out if Louis has a new companion. Even though Lestat is addressing Louis, he's looking at, and tilted towards where Lemuel is sitting (out of frame). Most importantly, Lestat's right hand is raised towards Lemuel, first uncurled in a goading 'come fight me' gesture, then curled almost like exercising his hand in a precursor to making a fist when Louis responds that Lemuel is not his companion. From Lestat's expression, we can extrapolate that he most likely doesn't believe Louis.
It's also interesting that the majority of the time when Lestat gestures with his right hand, it's in relation to Lemuel but his left hand (closest to his heart) is mostly reserved for Louis.
The scene proceeds with Louis describing his relationship with Lemuel, using the phrase "emotionally unavailable" to imply a lack of intimacy.
Note how the photograph's distortion is still visible and hasn't been corrected when this dialogue occurs, a confirmation that this sequence has been revised by Lestat.
Also important is how Lemuel's head is tilted towards Lestat, in a 'challenge accepted' kind of way, his body language visually confirms he's acknowledging Lestat as an opponent.
The last time Lestat is in view before he puts on his sunglasses again, he gifts concert tickets to Louis and Lemuel. He addresses Louis using his alias to distance them, and he refers to Lemuel as Louis' "esquire", an important distinction as this is the first and last time he addresses Lemuel directly.
An esquire can be defined in two distinct ways; 1. A barrister at law, which makes sense as Lemuel is performing as Louis' lawyer/ legal representation even if we're never given a proper introduction as to who he is or what his title is, we can understand from context what role he occupies in this scene. But why esquire? There are plenty of synonyms for lawyer without any other double meanings that Lestat could have used to address Lemuel, why choose esquire specifically? 2. A medieval knight's attendant, this second meaning is meant to land as an insult, Lestat is calling Lemuel (Louis') inexperienced boy, a youth who is playing at being a knight but isn't actually one, with the implication that he will be unable to satisfy Louis.
An insult that Lemuel understands immediately, as the next time he's in view of the camera, he visibly grimaces through his frown, the first and last time he expresses a negative emotion on his face, as he's stayed purposefully neutral before this moment. In this shot, the photograph is once again revealed to be a city's reflection implying that this confrontation between Lemuel and Lestat has a basis in the more accurate version of this scene (that we have yet to see).
The proceeding shot is the first time Lestat is in frame with the sunglasses on again, it's here that Lemuel returns the insult by implying he's impressed with Lestat's "healthy margins" despite the "size of his tour", which is exactly what it sounds like; a dig at Lestat's you know what. The insult definitely lands, as Lestat's chin is angled towards Lemuel in a challenging way, but his right hand is kept mostly under the table this time, with the glimpse we see of it looks clenched in a fist similar to how Lemuel's (also right) hand predominantly in frame looks closed (like a fist) even if he's not actually closing his hand (the camera is positioned to make it look like it is) = two challengers facing off.
Meanwhile Lestat's left hand is stretched out enough to seem like he's almost touching the glimpse of Louis' shoulder in the foreground, creating a visual connection between them, trying to bridge the distance between them, a last grasp for Louis before the meeting ends.
Remember that in the trailer it was Louis who initiated that first (and only) contact with Lemuel, but in this sequence in episode 2, it's Lemuel who touches Louis' arm, also the only time they physically make contact. Interestingly Lestat is kept in frame when Lemuel first reaches for Louis in the foreground, the illusion of him touching Louis with his stretched hand is challenged with Lemuel literally touching Louis, this carries through in the next shot, this time with Lestat's shoulder at the edge of the frame, almost but not quite touching Louis, as if he's unable to allow the image of Louis and Lemuel touching without trying to impose himself onto Louis (this also happens in the 2nd moment in the trailer that was omitted from the episode).
The final moment I want to discuss is the first shot of the scene where all four parties are in frame, and which takes place moments before the scene ends when Lestat leaves. Look at how Lestat and Lemuel are positioned diagonally across from the other, how they're both wearing sunglasses in the first shot they share a frame, and are also the only two to be touching the table (gripping in Lestat's case).
Even though we (the listener of the failure records) are visually suggested (by Lestat) to view this scene as a confrontation between himself and Louis, on closer inspection the role of his opponent/ rival is in actuality Lemuel, with the two of them positioned as competing challengers for Louis(' affections).
For those paying attention, you'll see how this wide shot frames the entire room except for the city reflection painting, which is only shown partially, a reminder that in every single frame of the scene depicted in episode 2, we have not once seen this photograph completely. Which is very much intentional, as it's a visual marker to let us understand that we don't have the full picture just yet = this scene has been purposefully given to us in a redacted and disjointed viewing by Lestat, in order to minimise what he doesn't want to admit, and emphasise what he wants to distract us with.
I can't wait to watch the full unredacted version of this scene! Or as close as we can get of course, memory is fallible and less objective than we wish it was.
(Soft spoilers in the sense that I'm gonna try to be vague around specific plot things and focus on the theme)
It's been three days since I watched the finale and I'm finally able to put some of my feelings into words.
I read the books as a teen, more than 20 years ago. At the moment, Lestat was my favorite but I couldn't pinpoint why exactly, since I was repressing my own story. Finding him again as an adult has been magical. I'm still healing, because it's not linear and it's a process, but I'm not repressing anymore and that has allowed me to feel so fucking seen.
First two seasons were beautiful, don't take me wrong. I loved every episode and reconnected with an old spin. But this season? This season has wrecked me in the most beautiful way ever.
As a survivor of incestuous csa myself, Lestat feels real. I read someone (can't remember who or where, sorry) saying that Louis lies to himself about what happened, while Lestat remembers every goddamn detail so he avoids it because if he really looks at it for too long, he will break. And oh, if that doesn't feel relatable, holy molly.
The whole arc was so well done, the way Lestat spent all season trying to deny itās abuse bc he canāt face it, how he excuses Gabrielle, how he tries to put boundaries that she pushes every time, the shame, the secret. And sure, he copes with dark humor too, he tries to justify it, to tell the viewers "It's normal for vampires, you wouldn't get it." But he knows that's bullshit. Deep down, he is soooo aware that is bullshit, that he lies about Gabrielle being dead, that they decide to tell everyone a fake story of how they met, to build "Sofia" and hide the truth. Someone who doesn't see this as problematic, wouldn't go to those lenghts to hide it.
Lestat tries to normalize it, tries to romantizise the abuse (same with Magnus) bc if it was fine, then there is no reason to be in pain. Lestat craves loves but at the same time is hiding his most formative trauma from the ones he is asking to love him, because Lestat doesn't believe himself deserving of love. Not the real him, at least. He builds a performative persona, and we can see the cracks, the mental breakdowns, but from the outside those cracks look like Lestat is losing his shit over nothing. Once we get inside his pov, we learn that no, Lestat is on the verge of losing his shit 24/7, so a lil push is enough to make him fall because he hasn't allowed himself to reach rock bottom.
When the secret comes out, Lestat's reaction is visceral. He pukes, he panics, he can't breathe, he stutters again. And he finally, finally, shows a lil bit of his suffering, finally gives Louis enough to understand him. It takes an awful comment from Louis to admit "I'm hurting". It takes to be openly blamed for the abuse as he has been unconsciously doing for centuries, to finally drop the act (act that was already falling a part very obviously). Because if Louis judges him, if Louis calls him sick, why bother hiding it anymore? His worst fear is becoming real, there is nothing to lose, Louis finds him unlovable. Except that dropping the mask is what makes a real difference this time because Louis does loves him. Louis whole demanour changes the moment he understands, the moment he sees Lestat's pain. And then, his reaction is as healing as it was hurtful a few seconds ago. Louis hugs him, tells him it's okay, tells him he's sorry. Louis gives him a safe space, does his best to listen and not judge him while pointing out "That sounds bad." Louis is there, is that easy, that's what Lestat needed all along, for someone to see him, all of him, and stay there. That's why a small part of him craved that Louis would discover the truth (Louis and Louis alone, not the whole world, because he trusts Louis, and that trust is everything).
Only then, after he has felt fully loved during his most vulnerable moment, he is able to confront Gabrielle. Because once you experience a love that heals instead of hurting, the difference is so obvious, so abysmal, that the blindfold falls and you see the abuse for what it is.
Lestat's arc was messy and ugly. Raw and real.
Because this is the type of wound you need to open and desinfect if you ever want it to heal. It's going to ooze, to stink, to look disgusting and be extremely uncomfortable to watch. Itās gonna be painful, itās gonna burn you and youāre gonna have to unravel the coping mechanisms, the lies your brain told you bc a child canāt comprehend their caretaker could hurt them so deeply.
Of course, my experience is not universal and I'm sure not every survivor would agree with me. But I've seen several survivors telling this has helped them too. And that matters. That matters so fucking much. I was panicking with Lestat in episode 6, and then crying like a baby because I felt comforted too. Watching Lestat trying to put himself back together again and again, breaking down, finally acknowledging what happened and still not giving up, admitting he has been a part of the cycle of abuse too, that there were lines he never crossed with Claudia but he had other things so normalized that he was unable to see how much that hurt his daughter. And after all of that, still loving so much and finally realizing he has to be vulnerable to be loved by who he truly is, and giving himself another chance. It means everything to me, it gives me strenght, it makes me feel less lonely, makes me feel seen. It heals me a little bit.
And I'm begging you, if you're not a survivor and you felt uncomfortable as hell with Gabrielle's scenes, listen to the survivors around you before letting your disgust speak for you. It's revolting, it's fucked up and it's totally fine if you don't wanna keep watching it. But don't say it was not necessary, don't say this show is trying to make incest look cool and fun. It might not be necessary for you, but as long as there is at least one person who healed a lil bit thanks to this season, it was necessary. Because discourse around incest and csa needs to be about survivors, not about how morally wrong it is. Trust me, we know, we're the ones living with the consequences of it, we know it sucks to a level that someone who luckily never went through it, would never understand.
To me, meeting Lestat for the second time has helped me to be more compassionate towards myself and the self-destructive and delusional coping mechanisms I used to have and I'm still learning to deconstruct.
So yeah, The Vampire Lestat was a freaking raw and beautiful masterpiece.
It was a season for the beautiful unwell and I will forever be grateful to the whole team that made it possible.
A thing that I love about Louis is that as a vampire he still finds way to appreciate and connect with humanity and to evolve with time. He is always evolving emotionally and culturally - which makes him such a great capitalist. Louis is in many ways ahead of time, he see the value in things even if society at large canāt because of current misalignments.
Meanwhile Lestat has been unable to move on, heās still stuck because of the trauma of his childhood and his turning. His point of reference is classical music and operas from his mortal days. Lestat as we know, loves to perform a role and hates self reflection.
In s3e1 during the call with Louis we see, what I think is him performing wellness. He so desperately wants Louis to see how well he is doing, and he wants Louis to come to him. But heās still playing the same classical music he always has, and heās still using an excuse to get Louis to come instead of being honest about what he wants from Louis (marriage). He hasnāt truly changed.
After that we see that Lestat is being forced to confront himself and his past and he has moved forward somewhat, but heās resisting it at every turn. Heās started playing rock music, which is more in time than classical music - but still outdated.
This should be Lestatās era!! This era represents all his vices to a T, but he is unable to connect with the times - because heās still hasnāt processed his trauma and he is stuck. He uses the Gen Z lingo like a performance, but his outdated music and his outdated views (pronouns, he says the right thing but thinks the wrong thing. Aka performance.)
And in s3e3 itās not until he truly faces the truth of a memory, his turning, breaking away through the performance, that heās able to truly connect with his music and the time heās in.
Shhh I knowww I said I would leave the Gabriella stuff alone because it's just kindaā¦.uh not good. So while there's merit to analyzing thoughtfulness even if I think it kinda missed the mark, when sheās so uhā¦ā¦a caricature there's no point in keeping a long list of dings a la cinema-sins.
THAT BEING SAID. It is so interesting that to AMC's The Vampire Lestat, Gabriella no longer being āa womanā means the same as no longer being āa humanā. The shows refusal to discuss gender politics despite every single title that she was subjected to āmother, wifeā, etc are all gendered roles. And she ends it with no longer being a woman. But what does that actually entail? Well, they show us. It means no longer acting human, killing ruthlessly, etc. Nothing about her role as āa womanā is fundamentally altered as we see it. She is still perceived as such and her only alterations on it are strictly nonhuman. Being violent, killing, drinking blood, looking ghostly, etc.
It would be the same exact speech for her character if she had said āi am no longer a mother, a wife, no longer a human.ā Because what she is really rejecting in this scene is her own humanity. The show uses gendered language but does not really investigate why her gender is relevant to transition from being human to inhuman. Her short hair becomes an accessory to stay lore accurate and create a modern look, a hand wave away, instead of important to how she perceives her own gender. Her sexuality which was stolen from her by her husband is a prop to shorthand her as manipulative and cruel to the other male characters and promote our sympathy WITH THEM.
Gender is an obstruct for their idea of Gabriella as an evil seductress they can puppeteer. They don't want to dwell on her gender, regardless of how many times it's relevant to her story, because it would mean pointing a big red arrow at the show's blind spot. Gabriella is not a character, but she can ONLY be played by a woman as they've written her. And yet never be allowed to discuss what the significance of that gender even means. What an anomaly.
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š£ļøš£ļøš£ļø Okay folks sit tight, this is kinda long, I have a small DM prediction - or at the very least something that I personally would really love to see in past DM and that Iām somewhat confident about...
And that is that Armand seriously considered leaving Louis for Daniel (and considered turning Daniel into a vampire) š£ļøš£ļøš£ļø
But of course Iām not Nostradamus, so take this with a pinch of saltā¦
Now, I donāt know about you, but I think a revelation like that would be an āØāØamazing twist āØāØ, because weāre all assuming that Armand has such an unhealthy attachment to Louis that he wouldnāt dare think about leaving him, (and he does donāt get me wrong) or that Armand is soooo repulsed at the thought of making a vampire that he doesnāt feel any conflicting feelings about the matterā¦
Thatās a mistake, because there are hints that indicate that Iām not pulling this out of my ass. So Iāll start off with my last point. Armand deep down, wanted to turn Daniel š§
1. Armandās barely contained resentment towards Daniel: āI wouldnāt let you near my neck if you were-ā
This one is a stretch, but itās relevant because it establishes a connection between Daniel and Armandās blood. Why is Armand having such a strong reaction here after Louis asks Daniel if he wants to taste Armand? He looks upset, even disdainful. Could it be that Daniel hurt him in the past and now thinks he doesnāt deserve his blood? Or is it a knee jerk reaction because he doesnāt want Daniel to potentially regain his memories of their past relationship if he drinks his blood? Itās both if you ask me, and so much more.
2. Armand looking shook when Louis offered to give Daniel the dark gift.
Why so shook Armand? He clearly still has feelings regarding Daniel, I just find it curious that these feelings bubbled into the surface specifically when the subject is about Daniel being turnedā¦.Almost like thereās a history there, like it hit a raw nerve in Armand or something š¤·š»āāļø
2. The BIG HINT.
Iām of the view that Alice was real and that Armand knows what Alice was thinking because he was there because heās an absolute stalker BUT the way he hesitated before he said this, reveals that heās not just talking about Aliceās feelings, heās talking about his own feelings here.
He considered giving Daniel the gift as he desired but Daniel lost his trust and decided to call it quits.
3. This moment: the Freudian slip
We get a tiny glimpse that heās no longer as repulsed with the idea as he once was. Funny that. He still finds it distasteful clearly, but heās not as strongly repulsed. What happened between Paris and present day for him to have softened in this regard? š§ Wellā¦ Daniel of course. Who else?
So these are some hints that Armand had considered turning Daniel (even if he was, most likely, torn with the idea). But what about leaving Louis?
Thereās no obvious, clear hint for this, (except maybe at the fact that Armand chose the coven over Louis) we need to instead look deeply into Armand and what makes him act the way he does.
Armand at his core wants to be loved deeply with the same intensity as he loves, but he wants that love to be stable. And he thinks that in order to gain that love and stability he needs to hide who he is.
No doubt in my mind that Armand was loved at some point in his life, but he lost that person or persons (most likely his parents) and wants that sense of love and security back very desperately. Hence, his need to be in control.
Louis choosing death over him is a bad sign, Louis canāt provide him with that stability or security he craves. Heās also undeniably and deeply frustrated with Louisā shenanigans during the 70s. He has lost control.
And along comes ā”ļøDanielā”ļø, a distraction from the gloom that Louis is drowning in. He unleashes his fury on him due to once again not being chosen above all else. This time he doesnāt hide who he is. And something surprising happens. He canāt see it at first, because heās so caught up in his hurt, but Daniel sees him for who he is and he takes it, (of course circumstances are intense and Daniel is trying to survive but he was being sincere. Remember Armand was reading his mind) he literally offers sex, he doesnāt find him boring, he wants to hear his story, heās curious about people and he loves life! That is fascinating.
Why wouldnāt he, with time of course, consider leaving Louis and choose the person who he can be himself with? And I think that THIS is the root cause of Armandās resentment towards Daniel, he almost had everything he wanted but it slipped from his grasp due to Daniel.
Daniel is a junkie and junkies donāt provide much stability either letās be honest. I imagine thereās more complexity involved, as to why in the end Armand chooses to stay with Louis. I do bet it had a lot to do with Daniel being an addict. Plus, better the devil you know as they say, and Louis came first so Iām sure he felt a sense of loyalty towards Louis, thatās my guessā¦
āØāØAaaand Iāll stop now, but not before I say that thereās another thing I would love to see in past DM and that is Armand for the first time in his life loosening up and actually having FUN with Daniel. And if you ask me, fun is what Armand truly needs.āØāØ
The Claudia + Lestat relationship becomes soooo much clearer when we learn about Lestat's relationship with Gabriella along with his relationship with Louis.
For example, Lestat's life:
-Outwardly abusive father who hated Lestat for his stutter and flamboyancy. Tried to teach him lessons via harsh punishment
-Neglectful mother who would very intermittently show him affection, but would do nothing to mitigate his abuse
-Family structure where he was clearly the black sheep, but also would step up to the plate to do hard things no one else wanted to do.
-Ends with Lestat killing his family and leaving with his mother
-Lestat and his mother form an incestuous relationship before she abandons him for greener pastures, such as sleeping with other men and establishing a new world order. (explicitly mentions to Lestat later on she didn't want to be tied down by a child as she was now free from being a mother.)
then we have Claudia's life:
-Maker who didn't want her, called her a mistake who was too frail to survive. Did have good moments with her, but showed cruelty in his punishment, even if it was a lesson that needed to be learned.
-Parental figure who would treat her kindly for a period, but would ultimately watch her be abused and go through mental anguish without stepping in.
-Family structure where she was an outcast (random girl who isn't aging) and didn't get to know extended family well, though she served as a surrogate for them for Louis.
-Ends with Claudia killing her maker and leaving with her other parental figure, Louis.
-Louis and Claudia leave for Europe where Louis leans on her heavily for emotional support while he's dealing with the attempted murder of Lestat. Louis chooses another man over Claudia, abandoning her to a murderous coven she's expressed hatred for. Louis expresses the desire to be "free" of Claudia to Armand.
I know a lot of people like to say that Lestat is the mother figure, but realistically I think Louis plays the role of the mother better. Louis, like Lestat, had a neglectful mother that Louis emulates. It's also why Lestat is drawn to him, as him emotionally withdrawing is the same type of abandonment Lestat felt in his childhood from his mother, reading her books while she watched her son get beaten. It's probably why Lestat cheated on Louis, as doing some kind of big and stupid act (taking on the wolves) is what made Gabriella show him affection. And it did work, that man DID take him back after he recorded an album with his mistress.
Obviously it's not 1 to 1. I feel like Louis and Lestat's parents showed more contempt for their children while Louis and Lestat seemed to have a genuine love for Claudia, even if they were awful, terrible parents for her. But basically yeah Freud would have a field day with his series unfortunately
Louis: "Let the tale seduce you, just as I was seduced"
Louis tells us a story for the first two seasons, and it IS a tale of seduction. It's about his romantic partners (Lestat, Armand) but it's also about HIS identity. Louis becomes comfortable with his identity as a vampire: "the dark gift" and the seasons close with him seeing vampirism as a gift rather than a curse.
Louis is turned out of love. Lestat loves him, and when he turns him into a vampire, he asks if this is what he wants. Lestat repeats Louis HAS to nod/say yes.
By contrast, Lestat is not turned into a vampire out of love. (book spoilers) he's turned out of force, and he resists until the end. And our introduction into his world is similarly chaotic.
The tale is not to seduce us. The narration skips around, it deflects, it plays with disgust and violence, and it's in your face. I think this is going to be a story where instead of seducing the viewer, the viewer is degraded/toyed with/appalled.
